Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

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burpgun
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Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by burpgun » Fri Sep 10, 2021 12:34 pm

Hey all. I own a Gibson SG Classic with the big guard. After a lot of years with Jazzmasters the big open space on the SG behind the bridge kind of bugs me, and I'd like to have some bending options beyonds pulling on the neck. I've been looking into a Vibramate/Bigsby combo given the no drill part of the equation. Any did this and have tales to tell?

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Re: Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by Lost In Autumn » Sat Sep 11, 2021 3:15 am

Have you considered a Les Trem? I have two guitars with them and two with Bigsbys- I prefer the Les Trem by a wide margin.

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Re: Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by Larry Mal » Sat Sep 11, 2021 6:12 am

I have done a Bigsby/Vibramate combination on a Les Paul, it looks sharp I guess. If I put any other kind of vibrato unit on a Gibson type guitar it will be a Les Term, and the reason is the Les Term costs $100.

To get a high quality American made Bigsby isn't cheap, you add the Vibramate to it and that's expense, also I added some Callaham mods to my Bigsby to make it work better and that added expense also. It was at least $300 by the time I was done.
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Re: Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by burpgun » Sun Sep 12, 2021 8:34 am

Interesting, was totally unaware of the Les Trem. I'm guessing having one of those works with the standard tune-o-matic bridge with those little sharp saddles? To the extent I would use the system, it would be quick subtle, no dive bomb attempts or anything like that. It also looks like the Les Trem would not risk any conflict with the Roland GK-3 pickup I've got on the guitar, so that's a plus.

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Re: Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by Larry Mal » Sun Sep 12, 2021 9:03 am

The Les Trem 2 will work with the sharp V saddle type TOM bridge as well as any vibrato will work with that, which is to say, not particularly well. That design simply wasn't made to accommodate vibrato use and it doesn't.

With my Bigsby B7 on my Les Paul, I never, ever had it come back in tune. Not once. I had the Callaham mods, a very high quality (non-roller) Faber bridge, locking tuners and all that. Still never arrived back in tune.

I do not think the Les Trem will be much better. The flaw is the "V" notch on a typical TOM saddle. If you get a vibrato and care about it working in tune, then you'll need to get a roller bridge or something.

I decided I cared more about the quality of my Faber bridge than I did the tremolo, so I sold it on.
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Re: Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by Lost In Autumn » Sun Sep 12, 2021 10:41 am

On the other hand, it works quite well with roller bridges that replace traditional Tune-O-Matic bridges.

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Re: Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by Maggieo » Sun Sep 12, 2021 11:56 am

Rivolta uses Les Trems. They're pretty great.

Image
Rivolta Combinata XVII, January 24, 2020 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr

If you want an even softer touch, Reverend has a soft touch spring for the Les Trem.
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Re: Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by Larry Mal » Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:15 pm

Man, that guitar looks great. I remember not being so impressed by the Rivoltas when they first came out, now I wonder why.

That's yours, Maggie? Congratulations.
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Re: Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by CorporateDisguise » Mon Sep 13, 2021 2:38 pm

I have a Vibramate/Bigsby B5 on my Firebird. Couldn’t get it to hold tune with the tunamatic, so I got a Graphtech bridge with Tusc saddles, and that didn’t help either. Eventually got a Tonpros roller bridge that works perfectly. I also gave it a Tusc nut. With the roller bridge it is one of my most stable guitars tuning wise.

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Re: Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by Ozone7 » Mon Sep 13, 2021 11:31 pm

Yes, I did exactly that.
Vibramate with a B5 to an SG Classic in trans black.

It’s awesome. It also helped with most of the neck pull I had on the guitar. The lump of metal just looks great imho as it balances what is otherwise a fairly big expanse of flat wood. I know….horses for courses.

Tuning stability is fine (better than the short vibrola on my Flying V) and it works for most subtle trem action.
It’s not a JM tremolo (which I’m fairly new to but really like) but it’s not far off a strat.

I’d do it. Just make sure you get the right Vibramate for the batwing. It’s the offset one, if I remember correctly.

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Re: Vibramate plus Bigsby for SG

Post by Maggieo » Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:29 am

Larry Mal wrote:
Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:15 pm
Man, that guitar looks great. I remember not being so impressed by the Rivoltas when they first came out, now I wonder why.

That's yours, Maggie? Congratulations.
It was mine. I traded it for the Greco Les Paul.
“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

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